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President Maravene Loeschke says in a statement on the university website that the decision was "extremely difficult'' but necessary to improve the athletic department's financial stability and to ensure compliance with federal Title IX requirements. The Baltimore Sun reported that Loeschke was escorted by several police officers to and from the formal meeting with members of both teams to announce the cuts.

The initial recommendation was made by the school's athletics department last fall. Opponents of eliminating the sports say that the university is using the cuts to divert more money to football and men's basketball while claiming the need for Title IX compliance.

The baseball team will be disbanded at the end of the season and the men's soccer program is being discontinued now. The Sun reported that members of the baseball team wore black tape over the legend "Towson" on their uniforms when they played Delaware Friday.

The university says it plans to honor the scholarships of the students who are affected by the decision.